Liverpool closed the gap on leaders Manchester City with victory over West Ham, while Chelsea tightened their grip on third place in Saturday's Premier League action.

The Blues saw off Burnley 4-0 at Turf Moor, a scoreline that was matched by Aston Villa in their statement victory against Southampton.

Newcastle United, Crystal Palace and Brentford also picked up wins, but it was a bad start to life under new management for Leeds in their early kick-off against Leicester City.

Following another eventful day of Premier League action, Stats Perform delves into the key Opta facts from each of the games.

Leeds United 0-1 Leicester City: New manager, same Leeds

Jesse Marsch's first game as Leeds boss ended in defeat to Leicester as United fell to a fifth successive league loss for the first time since April 2015, when they were in the Championship.

Leeds have failed to score in three straight league matches for the first time in a year, this despite registering 19 shots in their latest blank against Leicester.

United's expected goals (xG) return of 1.95 is their highest without scoring in a league game since June 2020, and the familiar failings were also on show at the other end.

Harvey Barnes' second-half winner means Leeds have gone 13 league games without a clean sheet, their longest-such run since 14 without a shutout ending in August 2016.

This was the fifth straight league game Barnes has scored against Leeds – four of those while playing for Leicester and one for West Brom, making them his favourite opponent.

Aston Villa 4-0 Southampton: Coutinho's home comforts

Villa are firmly back on track after registering back-to-back victories under Steven Gerrard for the first time since his opening two games in charge in November.

The Villans put four unanswered goals past Southampton at Villa Park for their biggest Premier League win since thrashing Liverpool 7-2 in October 2020.

Barcelona loanee Philippe Coutinho once again played a big part in the victory by scoring one and assisting another for Douglas Luiz.

Coutinho has now been directly involved in six goals in his first four home league games for Villa, scoring three of his own and setting up as many.

Ollie Watkins had earlier opened the scoring with his 21st Premier League strike since the start of the 2020-21 season, while Danny Ings added to his two assists with Villa's fourth goal.

Newcastle United 2-1 Brighton and Hove Albion: Fraser helps end Magpies' duck against Seagulls

For a while things looked incredibly bleak for Newcastle, even after their big-money takeover, but they now find themselves seven points above the relegation zone.

The Magpies held off Brighton to make it eight Premier League games without defeat – no team is on a better such run – with five of those matches ending in victory.

Ryan Fraser opened the scoring to make it two goals in five Premier League outings, matching his tally from his previous 70 appearances, before setting up Fabian Schar.

That was the earliest United have scored twice in a Premier League home game since January 2007 and, despite Lewis Dunk's header, Eddie Howe's side saw out the win.

It marks the first time Newcastle have defeated Brighton in the Premier League in their 10th such encounter, having previously failed to so much as score against them at home.

Norwich City 1-3 Brentford: Bees buzzing thanks to Toney treble

After a run of eight Premier League games without a win, Brentford bolstered their survival ambitions with a well-earned victory away at bottom side Norwich.

Ivan Toney was the hero for the Bees with three goals, two of those from the penalty spot, making Brentford the 40th different team to boast a hat-trick scorer.

The Brentford striker now has nine Premier League goals for the season, each of those coming via his right foot.

Teemu Pukki scored a consolation but it was another miserable day for Norwich, whose goal difference of -42 is the worst at this stage since Derby County in 2007-08 (-44).

Not that it will matter a great deal in the grand scheme of things, but Brentford are the first team Pukki has scored home and away against in a single Premier League season.

Wolves 0-2 Crystal Palace: Shaky Wanderers lose again

Wolves' European hopes suffered another blow as they fell to a third successive Premier League defeat, as many as they lost in their previous 13.

Bruno Lage's out-of-form side have now conceded six goals in their last four league games, after shipping just five in 12 before that.

Jean-Philippe Mateta came up with the breakthrough from close range for his fourth goal in eight Premier League starts, and Wilfried Zaha doubled Palace's lead from the penalty spot.

Ivory Coast international Zaha has now been directly involved in 83 goals in the competition, the joint-ninth best total for an African player, level with Nwankwo Kanu.

With this latest loss, it is the first time Wolves have lost three games in a row against Palace in their entire league history.

Burnley 0-4 Chelsea: Blues cruise at Turf Moor

It was business as usual for Chelsea as they won for a third Premier League game running without conceding in what proved to be a straightforward victory at lowly Burnley.

The Blues scored all four of their goals in the second half as they enjoyed their biggest away league win since October 2018 when also beating Burnley by the same scoreline.

This was the biggest margin of victory for an away side in a game that was goalless at half-time since Tottenham beat Aston Villa 4-0 in December 2012.

Reece James started the scoring and in the process became the first defender from Europe's top five leagues to both score and assist five goals this term in all competitions.

Kai Havertz also netted twice before Christian Pulisic added some gloss to the scoreline – his fourth goal at Turf Moor, matching a record for an away player set by Tottenham's Harry Kane.

Liverpool 1-0 West Ham: Reds roll on thanks to Mane

Sadio Mane's first-half goal made it seven wins in a row for Liverpool in the Premier League, their best such streak since a run of 18 when they claimed the title two years ago.

That close-range finish was Mane's 12th of the season in the league, nine of those coming at Anfield – no player has scored more home goals in the division this season.

Trent Alexander-Arnold played the ball into the box for Mane's goal for his 16th assist in all competitions this term, more than he has ever registered in a single campaign.

Liverpool were not at their best and that was particularly true of Mohamed Salah, who failed to score from six shots – only against Stoke in April 2018 (seven) has he fared worse.

Incredibly, Virgil van Dijk has never been on the losing side for Liverpool in 60 Premier League home games at Anfield, setting a new record in that regard.

Victor Osimhen has netted 11 goals in all competitions, prompting admiration from some top clubs.

The Napoli striker is valued at around €80million by the Serie A leaders.

Manchester United are understood to be interested in Osimhen.

TOP STORY – REAL TO RIVAL MAN UTD FOR OSIMHEN

The race for Napoli forward Osimhen is heating up with Real Madrid joining United in pursuit of his signature, according to Calciomercato.

Osimhen's Napoli contract does not expire until 2025 but both clubs are ready to flex their muscles and move for him in the off-season transfer window.

The 23-year-old forward's stock has risen dramatically since Napoli signed him for €70m from Lille in 2020.

ROUND-UP

- Inter are lining up a move for Borussia Monchengladbach's Marcus Thuram as they prepare for Lautaro Martinez to be prized away amid interest from Manchester City, claims The Sun.

- Nicolo Schira claims that Milan have agreed personal terms with Lille defender and Newcastle United target Sven Botman, who has been lured by a five-year deal.

- Barcelona are set to join the race for Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves, who has interest from Arsenal and Manchester United, reports the Mail.

- The Express claims that Aston Villa are interested in manager Steven Gerrard's ex-Liverpool team-mate Luis Suarez along with Milan's Franck Kessie .

- Teenage England international Jude Bellingham has opted to remain with Borussia Dortmund for one more season, claims Bild.

- Kicker claims that Roma have joined the pursuit for Stuttgart's Sasa Kalajdzic along with Tottenham, West Ham, Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig .

- West Ham are interested in Bristol City striker Antoine Semenyo, according to The Mirror, while Celtic are also tracking him.

Declan Rice has outlined his and West Ham's support of team-mate Andriy Yarmolenko, who has been given compassionate leave by the club.

West Ham announced on Friday that Yarmolenko had been granted time off by manager David Moyes after Russia invaded Ukraine, his homeland.

The forward, who grew up in Chernihiv and played club football in Kyiv, is a 106-cap Ukraine international.

Speaking after a 1-0 Premier League win over Wolves, Rice highlighted how tough recent days had been for Yarmolenko and pledged the team's support for the people of Ukraine.

"It's so, so important for me, for the team, for everyone at the club to support [Yarmolenko]," Rice told Sky Sports.

"The day it all started, we saw him at the training ground and he was in bits, and so were all the lads for him.

"We're all there for him, we're all there for the people of Ukraine. It's horrible what's happening, but we're all there with Yarma and the little tap on the shirt [bearing Yarmolenko's name] to start the game obviously brought some good luck.

"Tomas [Soucek] has spoken to him a little bit more, but we've all sent him a little message and he sent us a message in the group chat before the game saying 'good luck boys', so I'm sure that brought good luck for us today."

Hammers boss Moyes had earlier stated Yarmolenko was "not in a really good position at the moment".

London Stadium was lit up in the colours of the Ukrainian flag prior to Sunday's match, accompanied by a message which pledged "love and prayers to Andriy Yarmolenko and the people of Ukraine".

Meanwhile, the West Ham players warmed up in t-shirts bearing Yarmolenko's name, while visitors Wolves wore pre-match shirts displaying the message "no to war".

Mikel Arteta had no issue with Arsenal leaving it late to beat Wolves on Thursday, suggesting that such a dramatic victory was good for the atmosphere around his team.

Arsenal celebrated a vital 2-1 win in their bid to qualify for the Champions League at Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners climbed to fifth in the Premier League, a point behind fourth-placed Manchester United with two games in hand, although they had to do it the hard way.

Trailing to Hwang Hee-chan's early opener, Arteta's men finally equalised eight minutes from time through substitute Nicolas Pepe, who also then had a hand in the winning goal as he teed up Alexandre Lacazette for a shot Jose Sa deflected into his own net.

That decisive own goal clocked in at 94 minutes and 56 seconds, making it Arsenal's latest Premier League winner since Alexis Sanchez's January 2017 penalty against Burnley (97:14).

Asked if he would rather have seen Arsenal comfortable in a routine victory, Arteta told Prime Video: "Probably [I would prefer] the way we won it, because it creates such a belief, a togetherness, an atmosphere and cohesion with our fans as well.

"That's extremely necessary. We really want to create something special here, and without our fans we're not going to be able to do it."

Arsenal have now won seven of their past nine league games, losing only once in that run to Manchester City.

It is a far cry from a dismal start to the season, as Arteta acknowledged as he said: "After three defeats in the first three games, we had to avoid relegation.

"That was the first thing that we had to do, and then just go game by game."

Nicolas Pepe came off the bench to spark a dramatic late turnaround as Arsenal overcame Premier League top-four rivals Wolves 2-1 in a thrilling encounter. 

Hwang Hee-chan pounced on an error from Gabriel Magalhaes to end a 10-game barren run and put Wolves on top in a fiery encounter at Emirates Stadium on Thursday. 

The visitors quickly shifted their focus to defence but substitute Nicolas Pepe eventually found a way past goalkeeper Jose Sa in the 82nd minute. 

Pepe then teed up Alexandre Lacazette to force the winner, which went down as an own goal by Jose Sa, to spark jubilant scenes among the Gunners players and fans, with the gap to fourth-placed Manchester United – who they have played two games fewer than – now reduced to just one point.

Sure, relying on Mohamed Salah every week is a decent fantasy football strategy, it's certainly good enough for most, but what happens when the Egyptian magician isn't in Premier League action?

With Liverpool in EFL Cup final duty against Chelsea, the Reds' fearsome front-line and creative full-backs are suddenly off limits to fantasy football managers across the land, while Arsenal and Chelsea are also out of league action.

However, courtesy of Opta-powered data, Stats Perform has managed to pick out some of gameweek 27's potential stars, featuring the England captain, an in-form Burnley new boy, and one of the Premier League's most lethal defenders.

HARRY KANE (Leeds United v Tottenham Hotspur)

Despite Antonio Conte's team lurching to a fourth loss in five Premier League games at Turf Moor in midweek, the England captain remains the perfect pick for managers who need a big-hitter in Salah's absence.

Kane has been involved in seven goals in his last 10 Premier League appearances, registering six goals and an assist in that time. Meanwhile, five of those contributions, including four goals, have come on the road.

If that isn't enough to make managers' minds up, Kane will be facing a Leeds team which has already shipped 56 league goals this term, and has scored 10 goals in his eight Premier League appearances in Yorkshire. 

DAVID DE GEA (Manchester United v Watford)

For those looking for an adequate replacement for the likes of Allison or Edouard Mendy between the sticks, Red Devils stopper De Gea looks to be the perfect choice, ahead of a kind home fixture with Watford.

When looking at Opta's Expected Goals on Target data, no Premier League goalkeeper has prevented more goals than the Spaniard this season, with De Gea conceding 32 Premier League goals from 39.09 xG on target faced.

Although De Gea did ship four times when Watford ended Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Red Devils reign earlier this season, United have never lost a home league game against Watford, recording 11 wins and two draws against the Hornets at Old Trafford. They have not faced any other side in more home games during their league history without losing (also 13 unbeaten vs Hull City).

CRAIG DAWSON (West Ham United v Wolves)

The best fantasy football managers are those that find themselves looking for marginal gains, and what better way to do that than to pick one of the division's most lethal defenders?

Since the 2014-15 season, no Premier League defender can match Dawson's tally of 14 headed goals, and the big centre-back has now netted in successive games, against Leicester City and Newcastle United.

West Ham's next Premier League clash sees them take on Wolves at the London Stadium. For all their good form, the visitors are averaging under a goal per game this season, so Dawson could also be in with a chance of a clean sheet.

WOUT WEGHORST (Crystal Palace v Burnley, Burnley v Leicester City)

Finally, Burnley's towering Dutch striker Wout Weghorst stands out as an appealing under-the-radar selection, ahead of the Clarets facing two games in four days.

Since Weghorst made his move from Wolfsburg to Turf Moor, he has weighed in with a goal and two assists, meaning only Salah (three goals and one assist) has registered more goal involvements amongst Premier League players since his arrival.

Although Burnley's weekend opponents Crystal Palace have been buoyed by a 4-1 win over Watford, they then host a Leicester team which has conceded 40.61 expected goals this season, a tally worse than all but three Premier League teams, so another Weghorst contribution could be on the cards.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta described the horrific head injury suffered by Wolves striker Raul Jimenez at Emirates Stadium in November 2020 as among the scariest moments of his career, ahead of the Mexican's first return to the ground since his recovery.

Jimenez suffered a fractured skull in a sickening collision with David Luiz just minutes into Wolves' trip to Arsenal last season, which the visitors went on to win 2-1, returning to action with a protective headband eight months later.

Jimenez has hit five league goals for Bruno Lage's outfit since his comeback, and the Midlands club would go above Arsenal in the Premier League table with a repeat of last season's win, as the two clubs battle for European qualification.

On the eve of the Gunners' crucial meeting with Lage's team, Arteta looked back on a worrying moment for all concerned. 

"I have had others, but that was one of them," the 39-year-old responded when asked if it ranked among the scariest moments of his career.

"Straight away you saw the reaction, the anxiety that was suddenly in the team doctors and everybody involved trying to assess what was happening, it was frightening. 

"Thank god it ended the right way, but it looked really, really bad."

Arteta also revealed that his club remained in constant contact with Jimenez during his long recovery, as did the since departed David Luiz, who struggled in the aftermath of the incident.

"Of course, we were [in contact with Jimenez] and David was as well, because he was directly involved, he was really affected by that.

"We are colleagues in the end. We share the same profession and industry. When something like that happens, you are emotionally involved.

"In the case of Raul, it was a really scary moment. Thanks to the medical team, they probably saved [him from] something that could have been much worse."

Arsenal are looking to extend a four-game winning run in the Premier League when they host Lage's in-form team, and have lost only one of their last 10 home league games against the Molineux outfit (W5 D4), although that defeat did come on Wolves' last trip to the Emirates.

Jimenez, meanwhile, will be looking to carry over the form he has displayed from recent trips to another part of north London, netting in his last three visits to Arsenal's neighbours Tottenham, after Wolves' 2-0 win there earlier this month.

Mikel Arteta is relaxed about his future as Arsenal coach following reports a new contract is on the cards.

Arteta took over from Unai Emery in 2019 and won the FA Cup in his first campaign, also guiding the club to an eighth-placed finish in the Premier League.

He has come under pressure both last term – when Arsenal finished eighth again to miss out on European football – and in the current season, with the Gunners getting off to a shaky start.

But Arteta is generally considered to have made progress at the club, as they head into Friday's clash with Wolves just four points behind fourth-placed Manchester United, who have played three games more.

Arsenal, then, are arguably the favourites to take the final Champions League qualification spot ahead of United, West Ham, Tottenham and Wolves.

Arteta's role in that does not appear to have gone unnoticed, with reports recently indicating he is in line for a new three-year contract – while not exactly forthcoming on the rumours, he was undoubtedly relaxed.

Asked what the club had said to him about a potential new deal, Arteta said: "Nothing, it's just that I am really happy here and my aim is to build with the club a winning team that people enjoy watching, identify with and that can transmit what we want football-wise and as an organisation.

"As you think, things will happen naturally, like things that have happened in the last few months and now our focus has to be delivering what we want."

A key focus ahead of Friday's match was the race for Champions League football, which was made all the more pertinent by the fact visitors Wolves are very much in the hunt.

While Bruno Lage's men are two points behind Arsenal, they have a couple of games in hand on West Ham and Man Utd as well – victories in those would have them level on 46 points with Ralf Rangnick's side.

Arteta is not getting carried away with Arsenal's standing, but he could not hide his desperation to return to Europe's elite competition.

"I do, a lot," Arteta replied when asked if he misses the Champions League. "As a player I have experiences and it's one of best feelings you can have, to be surrounded by opponents that are the best in the world and challenge yourself and evaluate yourself against that kind of opposition.

"As a club, you play in a competition that brings a different dimension to the club, different impact. It's a competition that's very attached to this club.

"I'm happy with the direction we are taking, not happy with where we are. We want to be competing, challenging the best in the league in consecutive seasons."

Manchester United face the prospect of losing key midfielder Paul Pogba on a free transfer at the end of the campaign.

The France international is into the final four months of his existing deal and there are few indications that he is prepared to extend his terms at Old Trafford.

And in a further blow for United, they could see Pogba head to one of their domestic top-flight rivals.

TOP STORY – POGBA OPEN TO PREMIER LEAGUE STAY

The Telegraph reports that Pogba, who rejoined United from Juventus in a big-money deal in 2016, is prepared to wait until the end of the season before deciding on his future.

Signing a new deal with United is said to remain an option, but Pogba will not be short of options should he become available to sign on a free – albeit with big wages to factor in.

The report indicates that the 28-year-old will weigh up any interest from fellow Premier League clubs, with Chelsea and Manchester City having previously been linked.

ROUND-UP

- It is shaping up to be a busy transfer window for United as a number of other players are also out of contract. According to Ekrem Konur, Edinson Cavani and Juan Mata are attracting strong interest from clubs in the Middle East.

- Jesse Lingard is another who could be on his way out of Old Trafford, though The Express claims that the England international is not considering a free transfer to Tottenham. Lingard would reportedly prefer to move abroad ahead of next season.

- Arsenal have joined Everton and Wolves in the race to sign Rafael Leao from Milan, according to La Repubblica. The 22-year-old is enjoying his best campaign to date at San Siro, having registered double figures for goals.

- Italian outlet Tuttosport suggests that Juventus are pushing ahead with plans to sign Nicolo Zaniolo from Serie A rivals Roma, who are supposedly prepared to accept an offer in the region of €40million for a player with two years to run on his deal.

- Leeds United's in-demand winger Raphinha is holding off talks over a new contract at Elland Road, suggests GOAL. The Brazil international has previously been touted as a target for Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.

In 2019 there were murmurings of fan frustration at Wolves after the club allowed a couple of young Portuguese players leave Molineux.

Joao Dias had not made much of an impression in the Midlands, and so his exit to Famalicao – who had just been promoted to the Portuguese Primeira Liga for the first time since the early 1990s – was not a huge shock, but the fact his compatriot Pedro Goncalves went as well did stir some modest disgruntlement.

Granted, Goncalves – who turned 21 just a few days earlier – had never even been on the senior team's bench for a league game, but many of those who watched the club's Under-23s felt there was sure to be a rotational role, at least, up for grabs.

A report by The Athletic last year claimed Wolves allowed Goncalves to depart for a combination of reasons.

For starters, they were apparently unconvinced – despite his obvious talent – there was a role available for the attacking midfielder, given Nuno Espirito Santo at the time played with a fairly set deep-lying midfield and two wingers.

Additionally, it was reportedly felt a loan might not be in Goncalves' best interests because the possibility of a recall offered him a safety net – instead, he was sold for a small initial figure that would be boosted by percentages of his next two transfers fees.

But ahead of Sporting CP's Champions League last-16 clash with Manchester City on Wednesday, it's difficult to not think Wolves dropped the ball with this one.

The move to Famalicao wasn't as random a destination as it might've looked, however. The club's rise from obscurity was influenced massively by 'super agent' Jorge Mendes, who also has an interest in Wolves and Valencia, where Goncalves – or, Pote – initially played youth football prior to his brief stint in England.

Nevertheless, Goncalves quickly established himself at the Primeira Liga newcomers, the talents that were perhaps undervalued at Wolves coming to the fore. He wasted little time before showing his array of skills, from close ball control and deft throughballs, to clever lurking and instinctive finishing – his very first goal against Pacos Ferreira was a fine example of the latter two traits, as he held his run to create space and that ensured the pressure on him was minimal as he buried a rebound from 12 yards.

This Famalicao side had an emphasis on young players, and that youthful vibrancy helped propel them to a sixth-placed finish – Goncalves more than played his part, scoring five times and setting up another five.

Sporting were on the hunt for a replacement for Bruno Fernandes at the end of 2019-20, having seen their talisman and captain depart for Manchester United a few months earlier. Little could they have known the remarkable – bordering on freakish – campaign Goncalves would go on to have after arriving for roughly €5million.

And more importantly than his individual numbers, Goncalves' efforts helped Sporting achieve something even Fernandes couldn't: becoming Portuguese champions. Their Primeira Liga title success last term was their first since 2001-02, finally ending the dominance of their bitter rivals Porto and Benfica, who had won the previous 18 championships between them.

There's little doubt Goncalves was vital in their conquest.

He led the league's scoring charts with 23, only two of those coming from the spot. But what makes that haul even more incredible is the fact his chances (excluding penalties) were only worth 9.98 expected goals (xG). Of course, such form is hardly sustainable over the long term (we'll come to that later), but Goncalves was lethal on an unrivalled scale.

That gave him an xG overperformance of 11.02 – the next best record in that respect in the Primeira Liga was Toni Martinez, who scored seven times from 2.99 xG.

In fact, no one in the top five leagues got near that kind of efficiency. Marcos Llorente boasted the best record over those competitions (8.59 xG overperformance). Of course, Goncalves was playing in a division regarded as being lower in quality, but it still highlights just how abnormal his season was.

Don't get the idea that Goncalves suddenly became a poacher, though. Only one player (Ivo Rodrigues, four) bettered his three goals from outside the area, and he also remained a creative presence.

Sure, his three assists was hardly gobsmacking, but only Jesus Corona (68) and Ryan Gauld (75) laid on more chances than Pote (51), while his 6.8 expected assists (xA) was also the third-highest – the differential between his assists and xA potentially down to poor finishing by team-mates.

His output of six league goals from 17 games this season effectively proves the unsustainability of his productivity last term, but that's not to say he's playing worse – in fact, in many areas he proving even more threatening.

His non-penalty xG per game is up to 0.43 from 0.33, he is laying on more chances (1.9 up from 1.7) and his xA is also up on a per-90-minute basis (0.27 from 0.22).

He missed the dramatic 2-2 draw with Porto at the weekend through injury but has been back in training since, a massive boost to coach Ruben Amorim.

While even he may not be enough to stop the juggernaut that is Manchester City, his presence will certainly make progression a little less implausible.

Liverpool responded to Manchester City's thrashing of Norwich by recording a hard-fought 1-0 win at Burnley.

Fabinho struck the only goal in the first half, as the Reds continued their fine set-piece record on a day when set-plays proved decisive across the Premier League.

Elsewhere, Raul Jimenez starred as Wolves leapfrogged Tottenham with a shock 2-0 win, and Newcastle continued their revival with a 1-0 win over Aston Villa, thanks to Kieran Tripper's free-kick.

The final game of the day saw West Ham rescue a dramatic 2-2 draw at Leicester City, with Craig Dawson netting a stoppage-time equaliser.

Burnley 0-1 Liverpool: Reds reap rewards of set-piece focus

Liverpool did not produce a vintage performance, but Jurgen Klopp's men kept leaders Manchester City on their toes by earning a vital away win.

The Reds had to work hard for the three points against Burnley at Turf Moor. After managing 27 shots, nine attempts on target and 50 touches in Burnley's penalty area in the reverse fixture at Anfield last August, Liverpool had just over half as many touches in Burnley's 18-yard box this time (26), managing 12 shots in total and just four on target.

However, Klopp's men dug deep to find a winning goal, and did so courtesy of their fantastic set-piece record. Excluding penalties, 14 of Liverpool’s 61 Premier League goals this season have come via set-pieces, more than any other team and more than the tally they recorded in the top-flight last term (13).

Fabinho's winning goal also means he has scored more goals in his last seven matches (five) than he managed in his first 142 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions (four).

Meanwhile, the Anfield outfit also maintained their record of having won each of their games in which the Brazilian has netted for the club, with that run now reaching eight matches.

Tottenham 0-2 Wolves: Jimenez proves decisive at Spurs once again

It was Wolves, rather than Tottenham, who asserted their top-four credentials by recording a huge win in north London, with Jimenez and Leander Dendoncker firing the visitors to a 2-0 win.

Mexican striker Jimenez has now scored in each of his last three Premier League appearances away at Spurs (three goals), with Wolves winning each of those contests.

Indeed, Jimenez has now scored four times in six appearances against Tottenham, and has only scored more Premier League goals against Southampton and Everton (five).

For Antonio Conte's Spurs, the defeat was their third Premier League reverse in succession, and they also lost three consecutive league games under Nuno Espirito Santo in September 2021. This marks the first time they have had multiple three-match losing games in a Premier League campaign since 2004-05 (also two).

Newcastle 1-0 Aston Villa: Another free-kick continues Toon revival

Newcastle's clash with Aston Villa was not exactly one for the purists, featuring the third-lowest expected goals tally of the entire Premier League season so far, but Tripper ensured that it was a memorable day for the Magpies.

Trippier's 35th-minute free-kick was enough to see off Steven Gerrard's men in a contest where both teams created just 0.5 xG apiece.

Remarkably, Newcastle have now scored a direct free-kick goal in each of their last three Premier League games (Jonjo Shelvey at Leeds, followed by Trippier against Everton and Aston Villa), becoming the first side to do so since Liverpool in December 2013.

In a game of fine margins, the England right-back showed the quality that he brings to the Magpies' relegation fight, and he is now the first Newcastle player to score direct free-kick goals in consecutive Premier League games since Hugo Viana did so in May 2003.

Tottenham boss Antonio Conte thinks his team have a long way to go in their development after their top-four hopes suffered a huge blow thanks to a 2-0 defeat to Wolves.

First-half goals from Raul Jimenez and Leander Dendoncker condemned the hosts to their third consecutive Premier League defeat, the second time Spurs have lost three top-flight games on the bounce this season and Conte's worst league run since he was managing Atalanta in 2009.

Conte refused to question the commitment of his players after the game but acknowledged his team face a "long road" in their quest to compete at the top of the division as he called for patience amid a rebuild.

"Pressure is part of the job, pressure for me and pressure for the players," Conte said. "This type of situation is part of our job.

"When I speak about improving many aspects [of Spurs' performances], it's not only today, after two defeats at home, that I tell you.

"There is a long road, a long path in front of us, It's important not to be scared and to face this path.

"In this moment we have to be realistic and we have to be together. 

"Our fans have to understand that maybe you need to have patience, to rebuild the situation they were used to in the past."

Despite the defeat, Conte said he was content with Spurs' second-half improvement, with the hosts recording 67 per cent of possession and registering 10 shots to their opponents' four after the break.

"In my opinion the performance was good, we created many chances to score, [and] we had the possession of the ball.

"The commitment is very high but there is more [required] than this."

Although Spurs did apply more pressure after the break, they recorded just 1.04 expected goals (xG) to their visitors' 1.74 as they fell to a third loss in four home league matches against Wolves.

Spurs also maintained their unwanted record of having never won a Premier League home match when trailing 2-0 at half-time, having recorded four draws and 19 losses from such positions.

Tottenham saw their hopes of a top-four finish dealt a blow as Wolves produced a fantastic away performance to leapfrog the hosts in the Premier League with a 2-0 win.

Goals from Raul Jimenez and Leander Dendoncker gave the visitors a deserved lead at the break, with Antonio Conte's men producing a dire performance and failing to test Jose Sa adequately in the opening period.

Although they managed a better second-half performance, Spurs were unable to find a way past a Wolves backline with a better defensive record than all bar Manchester City in this Premier League season.

Out-of-form Spurs have now lost three consecutive league games, and the last time a Conte-managed team did likewise was Atalanta in November 2009.  

Wolves, looking to bounce back from a midweek loss to Arsenal, required just five minutes to take the lead. Hugo Lloris got down to stop Ruben Neves' strike before inexplicably flapping at Dendoncker's tame rebound, allowing Jimenez to volley home.

The France goalkeeper was again at fault when the visitors doubled their lead on 17 minutes, with his terrible pass inviting Wolves to press high, and Dendoncker tapped in his first goal of the campaign after initially hitting the post.

A furious Conte changed system when bringing on Dejan Kulusevski before the half-hour mark, but tame efforts from Harry Kane and Son Heung-min were the sum of Spurs' poor first-half efforts.

The visitors almost started the second half in the same manner as the first, when Jimenez forced a crucial save from Lloris at his near post, before Kane finally tested Sa twice before the hour mark.

Harry Winks' deflected volley clipped the post as the hosts tried to up the ante, before Kulusevski went close with a well-struck effort.

Wolves were content to sit deep and held on for what could be a crucial result in their own charge for European football, Sa making a fine late stop from Cristian Romero's header.

What does it mean? Wolves leapfrog Spurs by continuing away run

Wolves' victory, their third in their past four Premier League trips to Tottenham, took them a point above their hosts in the Premier League table after playing a game more, damaging the Champions League hopes of Conte's men and boosting their own chances of qualifying for European football.

Wolves have now won four successive top-flight away matches for the first time since April 1980, when they managed a run of five under John Barnwell's management.

Jimenez strikes early blow on fertile ground

Coming after five minutes and 58 seconds, Jimenez's opener was Wolves' fastest goal of the Premier League season to date.

The Mexican striker has now hit four goals in six Premier League appearances against Tottenham, and also netted in away wins over them in December 2019 and March 2020.

Spurs fail to respond

Spurs' terrible start to the contest left then 2-0 down at half-time of a Premier League game for the first time since December 2019, and they've still never come back to win from such a deficit on the own turf in the competition's history, managing four draws and 19 losses from such positions.

What's next?

Conte's Spurs will now prepare for a tough trip to the Etihad Stadium to face champions Manchester City next Saturday. Wolves, meanwhile, host Leicester City at Molineux this time next week.

You wait nearly three weeks for a Premier League matchday and then two arrive at once…

Reigning champions and leaders Manchester City head to strugglers Norwich City, while Liverpool visit the lowly Burnley after the Clarets earned a valuable point against Manchester United in midweek.

Ralf Rangnick's Red Devils face Southampton, who impressed with a comeback victory over Tottenham on Wednesday. Antonio Conte's side will hope to bounce back at home to Wolves.

Ahead of the action, Stats Perform uses Opta data to aid your fantasy football selection dilemmas.

JOSE SA (Tottenham v Wolves)

Wolves have become specialists in securing slender wins to propel them towards an unlikely qualification for European football.

Jose Sa has been central to the success of Bruno Lage's backline, saving 69 of the 86 shots on target he has faced – the best save percentage (80 per cent) in the Premier League of any goalkeeper to play at least five games.

While he will be tasked with keeping Son Heung-min and Harry Kane out, the Portugal goalkeeper could be good shout for some important save bonus points.

ANDREW ROBERTSON (Burnley v Liverpool)

Robertson is hardly a new phenomenon for the veteran fantasy football players, but the Scotland international has been sensational on the road for Liverpool.

The left-back has provided five assists in his last four top-flight away games and has six overall for the Reds on the road this season – the last player to assist more away from Anfield in the league was Danny Murphy (seven) in 2002-03.

With Burnley struggling at the top end of the pitch as well, the former Hull City man could be a likely source of clean-sheet points as well.

PHILIPPE COUTINHO (Newcastle United v Aston Villa)

Philippe Coutinho has starred under Steven Gerrard in his limited time as a loanee at Aston Villa, registering a goal and two assists against Leeds United on Wednesday.

That took the Brazil international's tally to four goal involvements (two goals, two assists) in his opening three league games for Villa, averaging a goal or an assist every 44 minutes.

Eddie Howe's Newcastle United are down in the relegation mix, so Coutinho remains a smart pick with many expecting goals galore at St. James' Park.

PATSON DAKA (Leicester City v West Ham)

Leicester City have endured a tough period under Brendan Rodgers, but Patson Daka has still been a standout performer for the Foxes.

The Zambian striker has found the net in four of his five home top-flight appearances and is providing previous fantasy favourite Jamie Vardy with some stiff competition.

Daka has scored on all three of his home league starts and could be the seventh Premier League player in history to do so in his first four if he can breach the West Ham defence on Sunday.

Mikel Arteta wants to talk to the Premier League officials after Gabriel Martinelli's unusual dismissal in Arsenal's 1-0 win over Wolves. 

Gabriel Magalhaes put Arsenal in front against the run of play at Molineux on Thursday but the Gunners were forced to cling on for a first victory of 2022 after Martinelli saw red. 

The Brazilian lost his composure after being denied a free-kick and was shown two yellow cards at once by referee Michael Oliver in the 69th minute. 

The first was for attempting to stop Daniel Podence taking a throw-in and the second was for barging Chiquinho over after chasing the ball back. 

It was the 15th red card Arsenal have received in all competitions since Arteta took over in December 2019 – seven more than any other Premier League side in that time frame. 

The Spaniard is eager for an explanation after what he considered an unprecedented dismissal. 

"It's the first time I've seen a red card like this in 18 years that I've been in this league. I think you have to be pretty willing to give a red card in that situation," Arteta said. 

"But it's what happened. We know that playing with 10 men in this league you're not going to get the points that we want and we have to stop it. 

"But to be fair, it's difficult to find more arguments and more ways to transmit that to the players. Everybody says it's the most disciplined group they've seen in the last 15 years, but still we are getting red cards for other things. 

"If you ask me if I'm happy with the decisions we've had this season, I'm not at all. But that's a conversation I will have privately with the officials. We need explanations, we need explanations with what happened in VAR and I need explanations with what happened today." 

Wolves boss Bruno Lage also complained about the officiating at Molineux.

He felt Gabriel's goal – the first his side have conceded from a corner in the top-flight this term – should have been disallowed for a foul by Alexandre Lacazette on goalkeeper Jose Sa. Lage also questioned why an own goal by Granit Xhaka was chalked off for offside against Raul Jimenez. 

"I think there were two strange decisions, especially for our 'goal'. But we continue to work," said Lage. 

"I saw the Arsenal goal and the striker kicked Jose Sa's hand. It's clear, so clear. When you look at the image it's a strange decision. 

"I'm disappointed because I thought we were the better team. Our tempo was very good and we managed the game well but we didn't score our chances and we suffered from a set piece."